BIOS flash problem

[lobe]

Hi,

First time for me flashing a bios. Have an ECS K7VTA3 version 2.0 motherboard. Went to their site. Downloaded bios flash utility, and latest bios to a floppy.

Switched the jumper to allow me to flash.

I get into the flash utility, put the file name in, and then it says the flash file is unknown.

One (of many) questions I have is: why is the file name when I hit directory at that A prompt different than the file name that is downloaded?

Please help me out. I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Zepper]

Most mobo mfr's put both the flash utility and the BIOS (.bin) file into a zip file. When you extract the zip to the floppy, you have both the files. the bios file is usually ????????.bin where the ??s could be any combo of 8 chars.
the name of the .bin file may have no relationship to the name of the .zip file but usually has a recognizable version number as part of the file name.
.bh.
:moon:

 

[Staver]

Also, the mistake I used to make was to leave off the 'bin' since I thought the program had a brain and would assume that. The file name must be exact.

 

[lobe]

Thanks to both.

I was initially just downloading the file to the floppy, and it was a zip file, so it wouldn't work.

After you clued me to that, I downloaded it to the hard drive, then unzipped it to the floppy. Unfortunately, it is still coming up as an unknown flash type message. I just CANNOT figure out why.

I have made the mistake of not putting the .bin several times, but now have tried it with the complete file name including .bin, and it seems to be recognizing it, but then when I try to use it, it says unknown flash type.

I'd appreciate any ideas.

If not, now that I have started, is my bios ruined unless I can get one loaded? Or did it not erase the existing bios program and I can just shut the computer off and it will be as before??

Thank you SO much for responding. I REALLY appreciate it.

 

[Staver]

Typically, there is a message about it erasing the previous bios, but before that it asks if you want to back up the previous bios in case something goes wrong. I can only guess that it might be the wrong file for your bios or maybe the entire path is required. If the bios isn't critical for some function you must have at present I'd hold off til you can get some solid support preferably from ECS. An incomplete flash will hose up your system.

 

[lobe]

Good news/bad news, but the good news is way better than the bad.

Bad news is I never could get it to flash the bios, inspite of the excellent advice. thanks, again.

Good news is at least the bios still works as it was, so the computer still works.

I have an ecs k7vta3 version 2.0. I bought a newer Athlon xp 1700+, and the bios doesn't recognize it. The computer works with it in there, just comes up as unknown cpu. so I was trying to flash the bios to have it recognize the new cpu.

 

[DieHardware]

Here's ECS's instructions for flashing an Award BIOS. I prefer to type just the flasher and back up the original BIOS file first, then flash the new one.

 

[lobe]

Thanks. I had found those instructions and followed them exactly.

Then I also did it your way and just got the flash utility up first, backed up the bios file, and then typed in the new bios file info. Still didn't work, though.

I kept getting unknown flash type. What does THAT mean?

P.S. Like your user name.

 

[DieHardware]

Are you using a win9x bootdisk(available at www.bootdisk.com) with no memory managers to get to a DOS prompt? Which flasher are you using?(awd822a.exe?)